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Saturday, January 15, 2011

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder + some extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon Rumsford Baking Powder
6 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 teaspoon gluten free Vanilla extract
Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream the butter & sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer. While still mixing add in the egg and vanilla. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add flour mixture, so as not to have it pouf out at you. Mix on medium high speed until all ingredients are incorporated.

Dough will be very soft so cover bowl with plastic wrap and refriderate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. With a teaspoon, scoop up a teaspoon size piece of dough and roll in your hands to form a ball. Place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Dip the bottom of a glass into the extra cocoa powder and flatten dough balls into 1 1/2″ rounds (about 1/4″ thick).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch, rotating cookie sheets half way through baking time.

In a double boiler or a heat proof bowl, set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate morsels, peppermint extract, salt, and the sweetened condensed milk . Heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.

When cookies are completely cool, hold each cookie with a finger and thumb and frost with chocolate mixture. I use the tines of a fork instead of a knife, so as not to get too much chocolate on each cookie. Coat both top and bottom. Place frosted cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and repeat until all cookies are coated.

Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, at least 1 hour.

Cookies can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an air tight container between layers of parchment paper.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Watching Gourmet Adventures on PBS..........
In Laos, not only do they eat fried silk worms, but they drink a tea made from their poop ugggh!
Yes, it's silk worm poo tea.........no thanks! Would you drink it??

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Enrich baked pasta: Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons into every cup of a light béchamel sauce to replace some of the rich flavor and creaminess lost when the fat is slashed. We whisked 1/4 cup into the sauce for our Spinach and Butternut Squash Lasagna (pictured) with creamy-luscious results. And it only adds about 20 calories per serving.

Perk up potatoes: In place of sour cream or butter in your standard mashed potato recipe, use an equal amount of softened cream cheese. The flavor is less tart than sour cream, more present than butter, and the texture is full and velvety. Our favorite incarnation: The naturally buttery taste of Yukon gold potatoes pairs well with the tang of the cheese

Enliven a smoothie: Love a go-to fruit smoothie for breakfast? This variation feels like an indulgence (but really isn’t): a cheesecake–flavored drink. For each serving, add 1 tablespoon of softened 1/3-less-fat cream cheese to fruit mixture before blending (try it with blueberries or strawberries). You gain about 1 1/2 grams protein for only 35 calories.

Responsible for sustaining most toddlers in the form of sandwiches oozing with jelly, peanut butter is a quick source of quality protein.

Our Secret Twists:

Substitute 3 tablespoons creamy or chunky peanut butter for 1 egg as a binder for meatballs with an Asian flavor profile. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons natural or chunky peanut butter to add body to a brothy soup. Stir 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter into a broth-based pan sauce for pork or chicken in place of dairy butter to finish the sauce and add richness.

Fresh Thyme

Earthy, woodsy, and highly fragrant, thyme is a staple in French cooking...and more, with our creative suggestions.

Our Secret Twists

Enliven the taste of fall desserts like apple crisp or pear tart by adding 1 teaspoon chopped thyme to the filling. In the summer, add the herb to apricot or peach dishes.

Reinvent brittle: Give your nut brittle an intriguing, unexpected edge by stirring in 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder. We loved it in our Walnut Brittle. Add dimension to chocolate dishes: Combining chocolate and chiles is nothing new―think of Mexican mole sauces. Stir a teaspoon of the spice into your favorite brownie batter, devil’s food cake, or hot fudge sauce. Or dust a little on top of hot chocolate as you would nutmeg. Give veggies a kick: Make a rich compound butter to top green beans, roasted or pureed winter squash, broccoli, or baked sweet potatoes by simply combining 4 tablespoons softened butter with 1 to 1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder.

Ground Red Pepper

Often labeled “cayenne,” ground red pepper adds a fiery kick to all manner of dishes, from Indian to Cajun.

Our Secret Twists

Give desserts such as cakes or bread pudding a Mexican flair by drizzling with chocolate sauce laced with 1⁄8 to ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper.

Stir a dash or up to ¼ teaspoon into a tropical fruit salad for complex flavor.

Sprinkle a light dusting over vanilla ice cream, where the creaminess rounds out the sharpness of the pepper.

Cinnamon

The sweet warmth of this spice (made from tree bark) is a natural in baked goods like cinnamon rolls. But that toasty essence also adds an I-can’t-quite-put-my-finger-on-it richness and fullness to savory foods, too.

*Sambal ulek (oelek) A paste made by crushing red chillis with a little salt. Can be made by crushing chopped deseeded chillis in a mortar with salt, or purchased at some delicatessens or Asian food stores.
**Sriracha is the name for a hot sauce. It is a paste of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Sriracha is a common condiment in many Asian restaurants and increasingly found in American and European homes.

Mashed Potatoes

Wonderful by themselves, mashed potatoes can provide a creamy base for stuffings, dips, and even savory pancakes.

Use as a substitute for higher-fat bacon: Cook finely chopped ham in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and well browned. Toss with sautéed green beans, serve on salads, or sprinkle over pasta.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, corn, and pepper; bring to boil.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

A big THANKS going out to Diane at http://kouponkrazed.com/ for nominating my blog for a blog award! You can get involved too:

How It Works:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Seven Things about ME!

1. I’m thankful to the Lord that I am sooo blessed!
2. I love using coupons and hunting deals.
3. I love to be creative with recipes.
4. I am married to the man of my dreams!
5. I’m Mom, Gma, and now……Great Gma! (How did that happen? I’m only 39 yrs old??! LOL!)
6. When I’m not chasing those deals and blogging, I’m at the Grandkids sporting events: volleyball, basketball, softball, track for my granddaughter; drag racing for both granddaughter and grandson (when he‘s not on shift as a firefighter/EMT).
7. Mixed in the middle of all of that….I’m hugging, kissing and admiring my 10 month old great granddaughter! I AM SOOO BLESSED!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Recipe from Lifescript: We like broccoli best in this tofu stir-fry, but any mixture of vegetables you have on hand will work. One way to get great tofu texture without deep-frying is to toss the tofu in cornstarch before stir-frying. Let it cook for several minutes without stirring to help it develop a little crust. Serve with Chinese egg noodles or rice noodles and a glass of Riesling.

2.Cut tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and pat dry, then sprinkle with salt. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the tofu; toss gently to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu; cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 3 minutes. Gently turn and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

3.Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and water; cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir the reserved broth mixture and add to the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan; toss to combine with the broccoli and sauce.

Tip:

Ingredient Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2 Stir together cocoa and water in small bowl until smooth. Beat shortening, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended. Add cocoa mixture; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pans.